I occasionally watch internet cattle sales on www.cattleusa.com while eating lunch ( I know, "get-a-life") but it does help you get familiar with prices. Bloomington Livestock Exchange in WI which I like and use occasionally, has their sales online and it seems to be pretty well organized.
There were a number of bred heifer sales online in the past few weeks. Seems to me that I recall pens of bred commercial black heifers in quantity were going for in the $900-1,000 range in the northern plains auctions. While I do not dispute the fact that black or baldy steers and maybe heifers for processing have brought more as feeders and for slaughter than Herefords, I do not see that situation being the same as far as females for breeding nor good bulls. Registered Hereford breeding bulls are bringing a premium and good registered Hereford females are in demand also for breeding. Bred registered Hereford heifers generally bring $2,000-$2,500 or more.While I am new to the breed, it does seem like many of the old Hereford problems have been bred out of the newer registered ones. This newer Hereford genetics is why I am buying just a few registered females from various breeders around the country to go with my registered bulls which will always be from Jerry Huth in WI even though I am just selling freezer beef. From this varied base of registered genetics I hope to select my own traits that do well in my WI climate and somewhat different system of intensive rotational grazing, outwintering in the woods, calving absolutely on their own and finishing quickly/younger on grazing standing corn. At the same time I want to work toward a target 1200-1300 lb cow herd.
Unfortunately there are a lot of older commercial Herefords around which may still show some of the old problems that caused folks to change. It will take years to shift to newer genetics.
Much the same thing appears to be happening on the Angus side where just a few very intensely inbred and popular lines are starting to show some problems (1780 and CCS for example).
It looks like quite a few folks are looking to infuse another breed into their blacks on either the bull or cow side and still take advantage of the black hide premium at sale time.
At times this thread sounds like a good ole green/red color war on the machinery page. And as on the machinery side, they both have their pluses and minuses.
Given the intensity of the heat between the Hereford and Angus people on this thread, I wouldn't be surprised to see someone with a tagline soon reading:
"I will never, and I mean NEVER, buy from any business that supports Herefords." 
FWIW, Jim at Dawn
Edited by Jim 12/11/2010 22:19
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what are bred cows worth in your area?
